1. Won't Resign as MLA, Alpesh Thakor Tells Congress
A day after the Congress approached Assembly speaker Rajendra Trivedi seeking disqualification of its dissident MLA Alpesh Thakor, the latter said on Friday, 26 April, that he would not resign as MLA "at any cost".
"I have resigned from posts in the Congress, not from the party's primary membership. I will not resign as MLA at any cost. People of Radhanpur elected me as their representative, and I will work for them for full five years," Thakor told reporters in response to questions about the Congress's move to get him disqualified.
Alpesh had resigned from all posts in the Congress on 10 April, less than two weeks before the Lok Sabha elections in the state, alleging disrespectful treatment and betrayal from the party.
(Source: DNA Ahmedabad)
2. Tribal Seats Register High Turnout, 2 of 6 Seats Saw Decline
The tribal seats may have registered some of the highest turnouts in the just-concluded Lok Sabha elections in the state. But two of the tribal and tribal dominated seats have actually seen a dip in voting percentage from what it was in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls.
Of the six tribal seats, four are reserved for tribals while two have a substantial population of tribals. Of the six seats, four saw an increase compared to the last Lok Sabha polls while the other two saw a decline.
Dahod, Chhota Udepur, Bardoli, Valsad and Sabarkantha are the four tribal seats while Bharuch and Sabarkantha have a substantial population of tribals.
(Source: DNA Ahmedabad)
3. IMD Forecasts 44 Degree Celsius in Ahmedabad Today
The state is unlikely to get any relief from the heat anytime soon, according to the Met department. The mercury is travelling northward and, for Saturday, 27 April, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast dry weather with clear skies. At present, the state is witnessing northwesterly to northerly winds, blowing at a lower level.
In a press bulletin, the IMD has predicted heat wave conditions for some areas. It stated that heat wave conditions are likely to prevail in isolated pockets in some districts in the Gujarat region – Banaskantha, Sabarkantha, Gandhinagar and Surat.
Similar weather conditions are expected in some districts of Saurashtra-Kutch region as well – Porbandar, Rajkot, Amreli, Surendranagar and Kutch. On Saturday, the maximum temperature in the city is likely to remain at around 44 degrees Celsius.
(Source: DNA Ahmedabad)
4. Asaram Son, 4 Aides Convicted of Rape; Sentence on 30 April
A Surat district court on Friday, 26 April, convicted the son of self-styled godman Asaram Bapu, Narayan Sai, and four of his close disciples in a rape case. The judge will deliver the quantum of sentence on 30 April.
Under strict police arrangements, Narayan was produced before court by Surat police from Surat district Central Jail, on Friday afternoon.
Narayan and nine others were charged under various IPC sections for rape, unnatural sex, molestation, wrongful confinement, unlawful assembly, criminal intimidation and criminal conspiracy. Except Narayan, all other accused were out on bail.
After three hours, Judge P S Gadhvi delivered the verdict convicting Narayan and four others identified as Ganga alias Dharmishtra Mishra, Jamna alias Bhavna Patel, Hanuman alias Kaushal Thakur and Ramesh Malhotra in the case. The judge’s order acquitted the others charged in the case.
(Source: Indian Express)
5. Man Sentenced to Life for Raping Deaf-Mute Girl
A special court for POCSO cases at Bharuch in Gujarat has sentenced a man to life imprisonment till death for raping a hearing-and-speech impaired girl. Ashok Vasava, 34, was convicted under IPC section 376 (rape) as well as under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act on Thursday, 25 April.
Public prosecutor R J Desai said Vasava, father of three children, raped an 11-year-old girl who was deaf and mute at Jhagadiya in Bharuch district on December 6, 2016, when she stepped out of her house to answer nature's call.
While the girl's testimony could not be recorded, the prosecution examined nine other witnesses, including her mother and also produced medical evidence, Desai said.
(Source: Business Standard)
6. Ahmedabad: Gang Rape Victim Dies Month After Delivering a Stillborn
In a tragic incident, a college student, who was allegedly gang raped last year, succumbed to medical complications, a little over a month after delivering a stillborn child. The police said that they have arrested two of the four accused, while the other two are on the run.
The gang rape complaint was registered by the victim with Ramol police on 19 March, eight months after she was allegedly gang raped several times, and three weeks after she delivered a stillborn child in LG Hospital on 26 February. She passed away late on Thursday night, 25 April, because of medical complications, according to doctors.
On Friday, police arrested two of the four accused in the case. "We have arrested Chirag Vaghela and Ankit Parekh for raping the victim. Two other accused - Hardik Shukla and Raj – are yet to be arrested," Zone 5 DCP Akshayraj Makwana, told reporters.
(Source: DNA Ahmedabad)
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